Regular nutrition is necessary for a person to live a full life and maintain performance. There are situations when eating becomes a real test for a person - dizziness after eating, a feeling of weakness and nausea. Dizziness may appear rarely or regularly, depend on the amount of food eaten, or even bother you after drinking tea and a sandwich. Regardless of the frequency of occurrence of this condition, the possible cause should be identified and, if possible, eliminated as soon as possible.
Reasons for feeling unwell after eating
It is quite difficult to identify the cause of nausea and dizziness after eating on your own. A timely visit to a specialist will allow you to find out exactly why headaches appear after eating and other symptoms that interfere with normal life. Factors that cause poor health after eating include:
- Dumping syndrome;
- Allergic reaction to certain foods;
- Following a strict diet;
- Eating foods containing tyramine;
- Hypovolemia.
Any of these reasons can cause dizziness, headache, nausea and feeling weak after eating.
Possible causes and symptoms
While eating, but more often after eating, some people experience dizziness. This is explained by resection processes. The stomach cannot cope with digesting food. A lump forms, which, once in the duodenum, increases blood flow to the intestinal area. But as a result, the blood supply to the brain decreases, and bad symptoms arise, including dizziness after eating.
All these unpleasant conditions are called stomach dumping syndrome and the stomach cannot function normally.
Pathology manifests itself in the following phenomena:
- lethargy;
- dizziness;
- blood pressure decreases;
- the skin turns pale;
- the appearance of unnatural spots on the skin;
- nausea;
- when eating, your heart rate changes;
- cold sweat.
There are two stages of manifestation of pathology. The difference is in the duration and time period of the condition. The early stage develops 15 minutes after eating. But the next one is a few hours later. Late dumping syndrome is less dangerous, but is accompanied by more severe symptoms.
Early dumping syndrome
Food enters the gastrointestinal tract before it has yet been digested. Dizziness occurs due to increased pressure in the intestines. Early syndrome is manifested by the symptoms described above.
If dizziness occurs regularly after eating, a visit to a medical facility is required. Moreover, gagging can cause the development of bulimia - the stomach will refuse to accept food. Naturally, ulcers and various diseases are possible.
At this stage, you feel dizzy not from the amount of food, but from the inability to cope with it. Dizziness occurs from a small piece or juice, from which fermentation develops in the stomach.
Late dumping syndrome
Differences between this stage and the early syndrome:
- the skin becomes not pale, but purple;
- “hungry” rumbling in the stomach;
- blurred vision and loss of concentration;
- if you take a blood test, it will show a sharp decrease in glucose;
- After eating, a strong feeling of hunger arises very quickly.
If such symptoms appear rarely, then there is no need to worry. This is banal overeating. If it occurs regularly, you must consult a specialist, otherwise there may be serious consequences.
Dumping syndrome
Dumping syndrome is the failure of the stomach to perform its side function. Its symptoms are:
- Nausea, sometimes developing into vomiting;
- Very dizzy;
- A sudden appearance of pale skin;
- Shortness of breath, possibly profuse sweating.
Depending on the time of manifestation, this syndrome is divided into 2 stages:
- Early dumping syndrome. Its symptoms appear within a quarter of an hour; the cause of its occurrence is considered to be the rapid onset of food digestion. A large amount of food cannot be digested in a short time and enters the intestine in the form of chyme, which creates an increase in osmotic pressure in the intestine. Symptoms may appear even if you eat very little.
- Late dumping syndrome. Symptoms of the disease appear after a couple of hours; this stage is more dangerous to human health than early dumping syndrome. The signs of the disease are as follows:
- Feeling hungry despite having recently eaten;
- Facial redness and weakness;
- Rumbling in the stomach and blurred vision (difficulty focusing, dark or light spots in front of the eyes).
At this stage of the syndrome, overeating is possible, which harms the human body and can lead to bulimia.
Manifestation of dizziness
The causes of the disease lie in gastric resection: also, when it is time to eat, blood flows to our digestive organs to help the stomach cope with its work. And if the food was not digestible enough and formed a hard lump (chyme), after the food enters the small intestine, strong pressure is created, which not only activates the release of catecholamines into the blood, activators of dizziness, but also causes other unpleasant symptoms.
Hypovolemia is a deficiency in the blood that occurs as a result of a rush of fluid to the intestines.
So, the described picture is called dumping syndrome and is associated with the stomach’s failure to comply with its side function. The following symptoms indicate its onset:
- General weakness, rapid heartbeat.
- Dizziness and low blood pressure.
- Nausea up to the onset of vomiting.
- Pale skin, spots may appear on it.
- Cold sweat, shortness of breath.
- Changes in heart rate while eating.
There are two stages of this disease, according to the time at which it manifests itself. So, for example, early onsets immediately after eating, a maximum of 15-20 minutes. But even the late one, which occurs 2-3 hours after eating, is much more dangerous.
Following a strict diet and foods containing tyramine
In an attempt to lose weight, many women exhaust themselves with strict and low-calorie diets. Sometimes after eating, dizziness and headache appear, nausea and weakness may be present. The cause of weakness is a lack of vitamins and microelements to maintain the body in normal condition.
With diets that involve frequent consumption of certain foods in large quantities, headaches and nausea may occur. These symptoms are caused by tyramine, which is part of citrus fruits, cheese, various canned foods and marinades. Once in the blood, this substance constricts the blood vessels of the brain, which causes dizziness and weakness.
Allergic reaction to food
The entry of an allergen into a person’s blood, among other signs, can result in dizziness and weakness. The causes of dizziness due to allergies are as follows:
- Exposure of the allergen to the ears and the Eustachian tube between them, which impairs the ability to maintain balance;
- High load on the body when fighting allergens;
- Low blood pressure and lack of oxygen.
In some cases, dizziness due to allergies can be a dangerous symptom, foreshadowing anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal.
Hypovolemia
Hypovolemia is a decrease in the total volume of blood, which ensures the normal functioning of all organs. In addition to dizziness after eating, it can manifest itself as follows:
- Cramps and pain in the stomach;
- Permanent thirst;
- Weakness and feeling of fatigue;
- The appearance of nausea, sometimes turning into vomiting.
This disease requires immediate medical attention, including calling an ambulance in case of a sharp exacerbation of symptoms.
Preventing dizziness after eating
If no serious illnesses have been identified, to prevent the appearance of weakness after eating, it is advisable to adhere to some rules:
- Eat small portions, the interval between meals should not be more than three hours.
- Correctly distribute the amount of calories between all dishes eaten per day.
- Consume enough foods containing vitamins and microelements necessary for the full functioning of all organs and systems.
- Avoid excessive consumption of junk food and foods that lower blood pressure.
- Drink enough fluids, especially if you want to drink a cup of coffee. To avoid dizziness after coffee, you should drink a glass of water.
Following these points will help reduce the frequency of discomfort after eating; if you follow the rules constantly, you can forget about weakness after eating. Of course, this does not apply to cases where dizziness is caused by illness, but even in this case you will be able to alleviate your condition before going to the doctor.
Is it possible to prevent the disease?
Yes, especially if it manifests itself in a mild form. Here are the doctors' recommendations.
- Eat 5-6 times a day in small portions. Take your time and chew your food thoroughly.
- Do not drink during or immediately after meals. You can drink half an hour to an hour before and half an hour to an hour after eating.
- Give preference to slow carbohydrates: cereals, pasta, rice, but it is better to limit fast carbohydrates: cakes, pastries, sweets, as well as sweet juices and drinks.
- Vegetables and fruits containing soluble fiber are useful: apples, plums, carrots, beets, cabbage.
- Protein foods: meat, fish, poultry, eggs will also be very useful
- Milk and dairy products can cause an attack, so consuming them is not advisable. You can try using lactose-free milk.
- If your blood pressure drops after eating, it is advisable to lie down for about twenty to half an hour.
How to help yourself when weakness sets in
If the diet is violated or there are failures in the quality and quantity of food, it is possible to slightly reduce the appearance of unpleasant symptoms. To do this, you should follow some rules:
- Be sure to rest immediately after eating - lie down or sit in a chair and relax;
- If necessary, taking medications to help cope with nausea and dizziness: Motilium, Immodium and the like;
- It is ideal if you have the opportunity to spend some time in the fresh air after eating - taking deep breaths and calm, slow exhalations will help reduce nausea and get rid of dizziness.
If weakness after eating appears regularly, the condition worsens and eating becomes a challenge, you should visit a doctor to identify and treat a possible disease at an early stage.
Wrong diet
An unbalanced, illiterate diet can seriously harm your health. A deficit of kilocalories and a reduced level of carbohydrates can not only maladapt, but also spur metabolic disorders, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, and eating disorders.
A nutritionist will help you create the optimal menu individually for your constitution, taking into account your lifestyle and daily stress.
Eating disorders of a mental nature can also be catalysts for weakness. With bulimia, the patient cannot control the portion size, overeats, after which he soon painfully tries to get rid of the excess, artificially provoking an attack of vomiting, taking peristalsis catalysts and diuretics.
Or he goes into the opposite direction and goes hungry. At the same time, he constantly begins to suck in the pit of his stomach. It is sometimes impossible to distinguish such a patient externally. The consequence of this nervous eating disorder can, in principle, be the inability of the stomach to food as a source of energy. Gradually, this can lead to peptic ulcers and all kinds of gastrointestinal disorders.
The other extreme is anorexia. The person develops indifference to food and no longer experiences hunger. At the same time, the patient rapidly loses muscle and fat tissue. Trying to eat takes his breath away and his head is spinning, sweat rolls off like a hail. Heart problems may develop.
